20100622

Update 20100702: Looks like they've managed to get over US$20,000 in donations. We have some science fiction to look forward to then.

I watched the pilot for the "made for torrent" scifi drama Pioneer One. It's quite short at just over 35 minutes, and it's available for free/percuma/gratis under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share-Alike license. You can either watch it via streaming above, or download it from their website. If you like it, do consider donating to them so that more episodes can be made. As of the time I'm writing they've managed to get just over US$10,000 from donations.

Any person who during the subsistence of copyright in a work or performers' right -

makes for sale or hire any infringing copy;

sells, lets for hire or by way of trade, exposes or offers for sale or hire any infringing copy;

distributes infringing copies;

possesses, otherwise than for his private and domestic use, any infringing copy;

by way of trade, exhibits in public any infringing copy;

imports into Malaysia, otherwise than for his private and domestic use, an infringing copy;

…

For the purposes of paragraphs (a) to (f) of subsection (1), any person who has in his possession, custody or control three or more infringing copies of a work or recording in the same form shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to be in possession of or to import such copies otherwise than for private or domestic use.

Interesting, no? As for why these amendments are being put into place:

In just 10 years revenue has plummeted six-fold, with record companies reporting total earnings of RM57 million in 2008, a paltry sum compared to RM315 million in 1997.